The present invention relates to conversion of energy, and in particular to the use of electrical potentials for producing forces to cause motion of a structure by direct operation of electric fields, thus providing a thrust sufficient for propelling a vehicle.
Field propulsion is an electrical phenomenon, which employs an electric field and electric field effects for generating propulsion forces. As disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,949,550 and 3,187,206 to T. T. Brown, through an electrokinetic phenomenon, electrical energy can be converted to mechanical energy which is then used to provide a force for providing movement to a structure. However, except for insignificantly small forces of electrostatic attraction and repulsion, electrical energy has not been used for the direct production of force and motion. As of this writing, decades later, a practical use of available electrokinetic effects has not been provided.
As is well known in the art, and as emphasized by Brown, the elimination of machinery for intermediate conversion of energy provides a great cost savings, and greatly reduced weight and space. Such is desirable in self-propelled vehicles including aircraft and especially space craft. Since any conversion of energy from one form to another is accompanied by losses due to friction, radiation or conduction of heat, hysteresis, and the like, as well as serious reductions in availability of the energy by increases in entropy of the system, it is apparent that great increases in efficiency may be achieved through the use of the direct production of forces to produce motion from electrical energy, the subject of the present invention.
By way of further example regarding use of field in moving bodies, U.S. Pat. No. 3,662,554 to DeBroqueville discloses an electromagnetic propulsion device including annular electrodes disposed on an outside dielectric surface of a body for providing a propulsion electromagnetic force field around the body to decrease overpressure in front of the moving body within a surrounding fluid for reducing a shock wave resulting from the overpressure. U.S. Pat. No. 5,207,760 to Dailey et al. discloses an electric engine useful in sustaining space travel. The electric engine includes a pulses inductive magnetic thruster powered by a nuclear reactor. A gas is discharged against an inductor comprising a series of parallel coils arranged in a spiral fashion with capacitors connected thereto for charging and discharging simultaneously by a trigger generator immediately after a puff of propellant gas reaches the inductor. Current and magnetic field in the ionized gas drives the gas away from the coils creating a thrust which drives the spaceship.
As further disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,891,600 to Cox, by way of example, when a spacecraft is in space or in an orbit, it is desirable to have a ratio of thrust produces to a rate of consumption of fuel to be as high as possible, thus producing a high specific impulse. One such propulsion system is an electrostatic propulsion system, wherein the thrust is created by electrostatic acceleration of ions created by an electron source in an electric field. However, where a large amount of thrust is needed, the weight of such an electrostatic system is excessively high. A dipolar force field propulsion system is disclosed by Cox which includes electric and magnetic field formed to create a spacial force field into which a particle is transported causing the dipole of the particle to be driven into a cyclic motion at a frequency which accelerates the particle. The acceleration of the particle in a space craft having the induced dipole electromagnetic propulsion system is accelerated by a reactive thrust. However, in spite of such developments since the disclosures of Brown, there still remains a need for providing a propulsive force within a relatively simple and inexpensive engine capable of being driven by well accepted power sources, while maintaining a high specific impulse that results from a generally light weight structure.
In view of the foregoing background, it is therefor an object of the present invention to provide a device for a practical conversion of energy of an electrical potential to a mechanical force suitable for propelling a transport vehicle.
This and other objects, features, and advantages of the invention are provided by a device for producing thrust through a preselected shaping of an electric field. The device comprises a housing and a core carried by the housing, wherein the core and the housing are formed from a material having a high dielectric constant. A cell having a high dielectric is sandwiched between an electrode and a lower dielectric, with a plurality of cells carried by the housing and formed around the core. A channel is formed between each cell for spacing thereof, wherein the channel is filled with a material having a dielectric property of the lower dielectric. Electrical connection means is provided for connection between an electrical power source and each electrode of each cell for providing power thereto.
In one preferred embodiment, the core comprises a cylindrical shape having a longitudinal axis extending along a direction of thrust. The core can be extended beyond a top surface and a bottom surface of a cell assembly for providing a structural attachment to a vehicle with which the device is operable. One set of cells extends radially from a longitudinal axis of the core to form a circular plate with each cell within the plate uniformly positioned therein. The electrical connection means comprise a wire carried through the high dielectric for connection with the electrode at a generally central location thereof. A plurality of wires extends radially from one cell to an adjacent cell within the plate for the connection to the electrical power source. A bridge conduit extends between adjacent cells within one plate having the adjacent cells therein. The bridge conduit provides a wire path for connection of the electrodes carried within the one plate, the bridge conduit further formed from a dielectric material having the dielectric properties of the high dielectric for the cell. An electric power supply provides voltage and current to the electrodes, with positive and negative signal connections to adjacent plates.
In a method aspect of the invention, the electrodes are provided with a rapidly changing charging voltage and/or changing current for enhancing the thrust provided from the self-contained device.
An electric field can either be of and alternating current (AC) or direct current (DC) type. As will herein be described, one preferred embodiment of the present invention includes the use of AC fields. A field propulsion device can operate using either an AC or DC electric field to cause a non-linear field geometry to form between at least two electrode plates. This non-linearity is accomplished even in a fully geometrically symmetrical capacitor through a polarity difference between plates. The polarity difference between positive and negative potentials has a flux density that is higher at the positive pole then at the negative pole thus creating a relative non-linearity for even the geometrically symmetrical capacitor. All capacitors share this phenomenon as described, by way of example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,187,206; 3,018,394; 3,518,462; 3,022,430; 2,949,550; and 1,974,483 to Brown. However, none have been optimized to take advantage of this effect, as herein described for the present invention. This non-linearity will cause a thrust effect to be generated in the direction of largest flux density, in other words, in the direction of largest field curvature, no mater the charge polarity of capacitor plates relative to each other.